Even Don King in his element wouldn't have to resort to much hyperbole to sell each and every one of the 15 match-ups in St James' Park this Saturday. And as eye-catching as any of them is the head-to-head between James Ryan and Maro Itoje, two young locks already achieving greatness and destined for stellar careers.
In the blue corner, we have the 22-year-old Ryan, weighing in at 108 kg (17.0 st). In the red corner, we have the 24-year-old Itoje, weighing in at 115 kg (18 st 2 lb).
Itoje has been something of a trailblazer, with Ryan hot on his heels in a similar trajectory. Both were standout stars of their Under-20s teams, Itoje captaining England to their 2014 Grand Slam, when scoring in every game and claiming man of the tournament, and to their Under-20 World Cup win that year. Ryan captained Ireland to their Under-20 Six Nations win in 2016 and to the Under-20 World Cup final, their best ever finish.
Itoje was man of the match in the final and European Player of the Year when Saracens won the first of their two Heineken Champions Cups in 2016, and he also has three Premiership medals. Itoje made his Test debut at 21, Ryan at 20. Itoje has won a Grand Slam and a Six Nations title, Ryan a Grand Slam to go with a Champions Cup and a Guinness Pro14, all in what amounted to his rookie year last season.
It’s an interesting reflection of the game management on each side of the Irish sea that while Itoje has already played 101 competitive matches for Saracens and 27 Tests for England, and despite being an ever present in 17 European games in the last two seasons, Ryan has only played 28 games for Leinster while also playing 24 Tests.
At 22 Itoje was the youngest member of the Lions squad to tour New Zealand, playing in all three Tests. If there was a Lions tour this year, Ryan would surely be in it. Bodies and good health permitting, they could be Lions team-mates one day, and potentially room-mates too, for s an aside, they are both close to completing degrees in politics.
But on Sunday they’re opponents again for a fourth time, Ryan having been on the winning side in last season’s quarter-final and the Grand Slam coronation, Itoje in England’s win at the Aviva last February.
He is one of Saracens go-to players. They look to him for generating energy and momentum.
Itoje has been something of a trailblazer, with Ryan hot on his heels in a similar trajectory, and suitably impressed.
“I remember watching his meteoric rise a few years ago. It was admirable,” says Ryan. “You can see why he is such a good player. He is a complete secondrow in many respects in the fact he is so good over the ball as well. He is one of Saracens go-to players. They look to him for generating energy and momentum.”
Coming up against the likes of Itoje, the All Blacks duo of Brodie Retallick and Sam Whitelock, and other leading locks in the global game so early in his career has fast-tracked Ryan's development.
“It does give you confidence, especially when you are starting off in that first twelve months. After those games, if you know you can go toe-to-toe, in a sense, with some of the best locks, there is definitely something you can take, just in belief going forward.”
Akin to Itoje, Ryan has achieved plenty in his own fairly meteoric rise, and asked whether he was comfortable having his name up in lights so early in his career, he admits: “I wouldn’t say I’m uncomfortable with it.”
Itoje is a modern-day, all-encompassing lock, as Ryan agrees they all have to be nowadays.
“Gone are the days of secondrows just being set-piece players
Obviously, you’ve got to be able to do that, first and foremost. Secondrows now need to have a variety of skills and you need to be ball players, be comfortable on the ball.That is the way it has kind of gone now.”
Insomuch as Ryan has looked at other locks such as Itoje to add to his own game, there remain differences and ultimately they all have to plough their own furrow.
What sets Ryan apart, in addition to the quality of his work, is the quantity, and those consistently high statistics.
“It is definitely something I’d look at, the more involvements you can have in a game the more influence you can have,” he admits. “When I’m looking at the game myself it’s certainly one of the main areas I’m looking at; how many tackles, positive carries, effective clear-outs I make. If you’re hitting high numbers across those areas you’re probably having a decent day.”
In addition to this Saturday’s final, when Leinster encounter Munster a week later in the Guinness Pro14 semi-finals, there is the prize of playing another final at an iconic football venue, namely Celtic Park, which would have particular importance for Ryan.
“Myself and Rory O’Loughlin are the two Celtic fans here and I have Tierney on the back of my jersey and he has Brown. Might have to bring those jerseys over if it happens they are there. So yeah, it is a great venue, St James’ Park is a great venue too.”
Saracens are as about as daunting a prospect as Leinster could face in seeking to add that fifth star to their jersey, but Ryan says the holders can go into this final with belief too.
“I think when you look around and you see some of the talent we have, that’s what gives us belief. Johnny as captain, I think he is an unbelievable captain and some of the experience we have as well.”
“The fact that we did it last year, we can take plenty of belief from that and I think it has been a steady progression since the quarter-finals and I thinks we are going to need a season’s best performance this weekend. You know Saracens are the in-form team but there is plenty of believe there we can do the job.”
